The central belief Peter holds is that an animé fan is one who gives back as much as he takes from the animé industry. That is the hallmark of a true fan.

Well, that may hold true for being a fan, but that kind of fan that statement is hinting at (when read in context of the article that was lifted from) is an idiot and a cash cow for companies to milk. I am, unfortunately a discerning customer and I do demand some form of quality in my product. If a product or service is good, it gets spread to at most 4 people, but if a product or service is bad, word gets spread to at least 7 people. It is not surprising, though, that since the company in question puts out such bad products, no one is buying from them. Bad news spreads very fast.

The issue of giving back as much as you take is a funny issue. If my support is mainly monetary in nature, wouldn’t that mean I am nothing but a mindless corporate whore who does everything in his or her power to keep the company afloat? Support is more than just monetary in nature. It works mainly on fan support, monetary and otherwise. Think about it for a moment. Without Comiket and the like, we would be seeing only mecha animé, even though Osamu Tezuka did work his butt off doing various stuff. NO EROGE, NO NEGIMA, NO LOVE HINA, NO TOUHOU, NO ORIGINALITY. I don’t know how anyone with half a brain could survive in that kind of a situation.

In fact, to bring up the Tezuka Factor, he did a lot of story adaptations prior to Astro Boy. He got his style directly from Disney. Now, Mr. Tezuka, the Father and Pioneer of Japanese animation, was a fan of Disney movies. He’d watch them over and over, trying to understand how they were animated. He brought in Western animation techniques and improved the Japanese animation scene. He worked his butt off in sweatshop conditions to produce a staggering amount of animation and manga. (Yes, he was responsible for the sweatshop conditions animators and manga artists face today, cry me a river.) He singlehandedly brought Japan out of the postwar slump and into the modern era. He was a fan, and he did everything in his power to turn Japan into an animation powerhouse rivaling that of Disney. He was a fan. And he made Japanese animation what it is today.

That is what a fan does. Someone who does EVERYTHING in his power to establish and/or further an interest in ANYTHING, be it wargaming, comics, manga, animation, Classic Battletech (Battletech is closely related to animation, that I will cover much later.), books, blogging, friendster, video games, whatever. They won’t just buy stuff, they spread the word. They introduce their friends to it. They try their very best not to act dumb while doing so. He or she who is passionate about anything will do ANYTHING to get more people interested in whatever they are interested in. Well, anything that puts their interests in a positive light.

If support is just monetary in nature, we’d end up with endless Naruto and Bleach episodes. And no, I don’t think I want another repeat of the music industry OR the videogaming industry. Endless churning of the same material, only with minor changes in graphics and whatnot. That is no way to expand an industry or business.

As for putting back what you take, let me subvert it into something more relevant: You reap what you sow. It’s true, you reap what you sow. You sow oats, you reap oats. You plant an acorn seed, you get an acorn tree. You sow evil, you reap evil. Plant nothing, and you get nothing. It’s one of the facts of life. If you don’t show an interest in anything, you won’t get anything. Likewise, if you don’t plan to engage in the local market, how will you expect them to respond positively, or even respond at all. And to make matters worse, you go about sowing evil on the sly. I’m not surprised that the reaction to the news is consistent with what I’ve heard about the RIAA and MPAA.

You reap what you sow, people. And you’d better be able to swallow that bitter pill. Nothing will help you swallow that pill. It is knowledge, and to have it is far better than gold or silver or crude oil.

Part 2

He wants to see a unique Singaporean anime culture, one which is totally free of piracy, illegal downloads and 100 percent friendly to the Japanese studios.

Having dreams is good, it guides a man to his destiny.

However, when a man uses unjust actions and lies to establish his dreams, he is no better than a fool. Deeds before words. Actions speak louder than words. It is in the best interests of the man in question that I openly rebuke him for acting so childishly. What he is doing is no better what your average fan does: openly attacking people whose views are contrary to him, only this time the man in question has got the legal and finacial power to force people to be unable to fight back.

Is this how you want to establish your dream, by turning this country into a desolate land of Copyright Protection ruled by the lawsuit? No signs of growth, no fanbase, and everyone laughs at us for being idiots? Would any Japanese animation company even consider setting up shop here due to this fiasco, after knowing that is how you treat their fans and potential customers? Will the International community even look at us in the right light after this? (I am running the risk of defamation here, don’t sue me for stating what I think is the truth.)

Even America knows they can’t survive without the efforts of the fans. While I will concede to him that a fair amount of “fans” here are nothing but dirty freeloaders who care only about themselves (I should know: I know some of these people; I am not one of them.), it is they who do the market testing. It is they who do the PR work. And at the end of the day, it is them who will sing praises unto your name and bring in the money.

I am painfully aware that our country has a disproportionate amount of people who want free stuff. In fact, it is so deeply engrained into our genes that it would take a Herculean effort to get rid of it. Human nature is such an awful thing to have. And yet, we are human. We may be able to control our urges, but more often than not, we fail. It is more prudent to exploit human nature, rather than to use negative reinforcement. iTunes is a great example of this. Detestable as it is, Apple (and Steve Jobs) has done something that no recording company could ever dream of doing: appealing to human nature. We want things quick and fast, and for a reasonable price. iTunes does that, and a bit more. I won’t go into details, but iTunes music sells more music than the a CD single every week.

To realize that dream, you have to wake up to the cold hard facts. You are working with humans. Humans are flawed, and cannot comprehend your dream. They want things quick and they want it now. Can you tap into that desire and fufill your dream? Only time will tell. But first, you need to take the first step. Acknowledge that you will never survive without your fans. Heck, you are one yourself, aren’t you?

Part 3

I am an informed customer. I am not like the drooling corporate whore, who buys everything related to his interests and calls it a good buy. I do my research on what is offered, and then I will decide for myself what is good. I do my best to not be too picky about quality, but I have to realize this: A bad product sold cheaply has less worth than a good product sold at exorbitant prices.

I am also a fan. I love my hobby. I would do pretty much anything good and honest to ensure people know of it. I am willing to part with money in order to purchase the latest keepsake or merchandise. I spread the word, I do good works, I don’t make a mockery of myself if I can help it.

I find it very hard to reconcile both these sides of me when it comes to something like animation, manga and eroge. I know a fair amount of merchandise is made to fleece people from their cash, but at time I cannot hold back the sudden impulse of buying. I would love to do so, but I only have a limited amount of money to spend, and even then, I have to take care of the basic needs. I am not a fool who mindlessly spends.

Also, I do not see the need to buy every single thing related to my hobby. I spend what I can. A bit here, a bit there. The odd pencilboard, an occasional DVD set, a figurine or two. Am I not contributing to the industry with these minor acts? You say it is not enough, I say, it is. Little drops of water, tiny grains of sand, make the mighty ocean, and the great big land, so goes that poem I used to read when I was young.

Giving back what you take is more than just spending money. It is about devoting a portion of your time and soul into spreading the word. You make friends and introduce to them your hobby. You get a job related to your interest and try in initiate change. You might want to try maintaining a blog and write about your interest. Am I not doing my best in giving back what I took from the industry in doing so?

I do not abhor fansubs, they are a means of giving back what you owe. I abhor people who justify their reasons for not supporting the industry, people who mask their true intentions under a veneer of lies and deception. I would very much like to flog them in public for being hypocrites, but alas, we live in times where doing as such is not just forbidden, but punishable in most countries. This is all what I can do.

I wish I could do more, but alas, I am human, and my resources are limited. And soon, I will be unable to do even this. It is not my final hurrah, far from it, but if this goes on, even this will be taken away from me. I will forever mourn the loss of my hobby, and I will forever HATE the people who have taken it away.

Well, a Sunday has come and gone, but no one, I repeat, no one has ever taken up my challenge and tried to prove that their stand is just and true.

If your cause is just and true, then you should come and say that in front of my face (abuse is optional). What better way to prove that your stand is just and true than to say it in front of a lot of people? And in front of the Lord.

This is not a service I offer to anyone, but a challenge. If your cause is just and true, you will have no problems saying it in front of a crowd. This isn’t even a dare. It is an ultimatum. If you really believe your cause is just, say it in front of the Lord. On the Internet, anyone can say anything. Backing up those words, however, is another matter altogether.

This challenge is also open to the people who started this mess, Mr. Stephen Sing and Mr. Peter Go. Should you believe your cause is just and true, this is the perfect chance to do so. Prove to me you still have a small inkling of honor and integrity in that soul you currently have.

Say it in my face, I am a freeloader and a faggot. I don’t care. Hurl abuse at me. I don’t care either. Hit me, if you will. Kill me from where I stand. If your cause is just and true, no one will oppose you. Right now, both causes are unjust and self-serving. How can I throw my weight in with greed and rebellion? You tell me.

I have always thrown my support in with the just and righteous. I have never supported evil, and will never do so. Two causes, one just as evil as the other, clash, none will survive. It has been written since time immemorial, and true it will ring. Evil cannot defeat evil, only good can. Darkness can never defeat darkness, only light will. Fire defeats ice, not ice.

Yeah, I know, stuff happens, but this is for the benefit of those of you in the audience who don’t know this.

In America, they don’t hand out lawsuits like Halloween candy to people. In fact, they know that this is a fastrack to corporate suicide. Companies like ADV and Funimation actually announce their licenses at conventions and the like. Yeah, you got that right. They announce their licenses out loud. At conventions. Where there are a lot of people. People who will know about the whole thing. And then, the list appears online, via the usual channels.

Most people are happy enough to oblige with the wishes of the company.

For those who didn’t catch the announcement or are a bit too earnest, they send a Cease and Desist Letter. All it says on the letter is to simply please stop fansubbing the series in question. Nothing about lawsuits or threats of jailtime or anything.They know the customer base is extremely small, and they can’ t go around accusing fans for being selfish. A simple “Please” and “Thank You” goes a long way, folks. Remember that. It works internationally.

Speaking of small customer bases, ADV et al knows that having bad rep completely and utterly destroys their chances of making money. (And overlicensing, but that’s another mater I do not have the authority to discuss on). For example, 4kids has one of the worst reps around, and they’re paying the price. Their horrible localizations of Pokémo, Yu Gi Oh and One Piece has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many. ADV et al have their critics, but at least they are nice enough to admit they need their customers and that they could do better.

If you remember my earlier article about ADV, they are trying to adapt to the market, Video On Demand and whatnot. They know they can’t beat the crowd, so they might as well try to adapt to the crowd’s taste. Well, that is how any company should try to do. Try to adapt to the market. And at least care for the the community as well. Really, a small gesture of kindness beats any form of heavy-handed punishment easily. Greed does not profits make, but kindness and common sense.

If you don’t want to listen, I can’t say anything. I can only inform and educate. You can’t force a horse to drink water, only lead the horse to it.

THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

NO IT’S MAH BIRTHDAY

Yeah, The new Touhou is out, can’t be bothered to say anything about it, because there’s pictures of Stages 4-6 on 4chan and other places, plus people have already cleared MoF Lunatic. Videos on nicovideo. Also Reimu is not a zombie.

So while we wait for SHAMEAMP (I mean IaMP 2) to poof into existence, I’ll leave you with pics of the Stage 5 and EX-Stage Boss. She is so cute. Oh dear. She is so cute I could di-

*nosebleeds a fountain

So cute… … … … I wanna v^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^h^hug her and kiss her and make her my pet :V OF course I did not mean that sexually. You pervs.

You might as well just say goodbye to cosplay, KKnM, and all the good things in life, because they are all, OVER. That’s right, the whole animé scene, or what’s left of it, is dead as of today. You have just proven, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that ALL OF US are going to be cracked down like the scum the world perceives us to be. You don’t deserve any respect, or pity, or even some fucking hope or salvation. Grace has been meted out to you, and what do you fuckers do? Threaten to harm the guy, burn his property, lay slander to him, and even did the 4chan method of “fact-finding” out of spite and hate.

Look at yourselves. Is this worthy of any form of pity from the public? Is this worthy of even grace from the Lord? Are you so steeped in sin that you choose to settle this in a manner that harms everyone?

If that is your decision, enjoy your victory while it lasts. You will never win, I will see to that. In fact, I will rescind my offer of salvation, for you all have shown so resolutely that you deserved to be destroyed, annihilated, killed, and worst of all, reviled for generations to come.

If you have any gall to challenge your stand, you had better come direct them at me, before you direct them at your intended targets. Not online, but in real life.